In driving, recovering from an error, say oversteer, requires stepping on the gas and countersteering. While countersteering might come in naturally, stepping on the gas when you’re about to lose it is contrary to self-preservation instincts. A lot of escape plans are, or anything that gets your blood pumping for that matter.
The difficulty is overriding your natural instincts for self-preservation. How do you keep your sanity when panic is setting in? Many self help books always preach about keeping your cool, staying calm and composed in order to think clearly. It always reads like it’s so easy, after all, this written from an objective and distant point of view. Not once is there any consideration mentioned for phobia, trauma or anything that can inhibit proper judgment.
There’s no real textbook for these kinds of things. Not like they could help.
A couple of weeks ago, I was on a race track, all by myself in a car, fraught with pressures of beating a more experienced pro’s time. I could have played Gran Turismo all I wanted to get the feel of the car, but when it comes down to the reality of it, nothing really prepares you for dealing with the fear that sets in. “It’s all about experience,” the pro told me, “the more time you spend doing it, the more comfortable and confident you become, the better your performance.”
They always say the best way to overcome phobias is to face them head on. Maybe you build a tolerance for adrenaline. Maybe you just stop waiting or worrying about the high and start enjoying it for a change.
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